May 18, 2023 Changing their lives forever

“September 19, 1978. I remember it minute by minute,” says Bonnie Jackson. “That was the day our lives changed forever.” 

Bonnie and her husband, Terry, had just found out that their eldest daughter, Joanna—five years old at the time—had developed type 1 diabetes. 

The signs were there: Joanna’s increased thirst and her frequent trips to the bathroom. Bonnie thought her daughter had a kidney or urine infection and took her to their family doctor for tests. “As soon as we arrived home from the appointment, my phone was ringing,” says Bonnie, who was given the diagnosis and told to take Joanna to the Montreal Children’s Hospital “immediately” (at the time, the family lived in the Montreal suburb of Beaconsfield, Que.). At the hospital, Joanna received her first insulin injection before they were even told what was happening. “Her blood sugar was so high it was crucial she be given this life-saving medication right away.”

Dealing with a diagnosis 

“I was shocked,” says Bonnie. “My understanding was that diabetes was for ‘old people,’ not my five-year-old daughter who had just started kindergarten.”

Joanna spent 10 days in hospital, and along with their daughter, Bonnie and Terry learned about daily urine testing (no home blood sugar testing was available until 1980), meal planning, insulin injections, and constant monitoring for high or low blood sugars. “Joanna had always been fearful of needles—and always fainted whenever she had to give blood,” says Terry. “This added a whole new dimension to her fears and to ours.” The diabetes diagnosis had an impact on every birthday party Joanna went to, sleepovers and her daily activities.

“Major fears were of Joanna experiencing blood sugar so low that she would be unconscious. That did happen when she was 10, after a full day of mini putt and birthday celebration for one of her sisters,” says Bonnie. “We were fortunate to find her in time to get her to the hospital for an IV and a full recovery. That night haunts me to this day.”

Giving the gift of community

Fortunately, the Jacksons also have many happy memories since Joanna’s diagnosis. For example, when she turned eight, Joanna said, “Mommy, I can go to camp now!” 

Although Bonnie and Terry worried about their daughter being away from home to go to Camp Huronda, a Diabetes Canada summer camp for kids with diabetes, Bonnie says, “We knew what a gift [it] was for Joanna. It was a chance to be surrounded by other kids like her, and cool and caring teenaged counsellors who made needles and finger pricks seem like a normal part of life. Bouncing between crafts and swimming and injections at the ‘Insul Inn,’ Joanna could feel completely free.”

Camp Huronda is where Joanna learned to give herself insulin injections. “It was such an important milestone,” says Bonnie. The camp had a tradition of spray-painting the needle gold and mounting it as a keepsake, which Joanna cherished. “She was so excited to announce that now she could have a sleepover because she could do her own needle. Such confidence to instill in children who have to live this life 24/7!”

Every summer Joanna would come home with a new achievement, beaming with pride. She attended Camp Huronda for 10 years, eight of those as a camper and two as a counsellor. Says Terry,

Camp became a guiding star throughout Joanna's childhood, preparing her for a lifetime of managing diabetes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Staying healthy

Today, Joanna, who is now 50, is married and a mom of two children—Finley, 13, and Ainsley, 11. She is a kindergarten teacher in Toronto and she lives close to one of her sisters and her mom and dad, who are in Oakville, Ont. Gone are the days of urine testing and insulin injections; Joanna now uses an insulin pump and sensor for 24/7 management. But, says Bonnie, “it is still a 24/7 battle [for her] to keep her blood sugars in range, and to make sure when she goes to bed, her pump will alarm her if her blood sugars are going dangerously too low or too high.” 

Doing their part

The family is grateful for the role research has played in improving diabetes management and the quality of life for Joanna and others living with the condition. It has been 45 years since Joanna’s diagnosis, and her family is so grateful that she has not experienced any complications (which can impact the eyes, kidney, heart, and more). But the reality is that the longer a person lives with diabetes, the greater the chance of developing any of these.

I wish people understood the seriousness of this disease. It is not caused by making bad choices in one’s life. It is an autoimmune disease that is very complicated. Researchers have been working for decades to find the missing pieces to this mystery puzzle. We are getting close, but funding is necessary to support our researchers to give them the funds they need to take the research to the next level,

says Bonnie. “I wish there was more funding. I wish that more families who live with this diagnosis would step forward and do their part. Doing their part would be to raise awareness of this disease. Their voices would help raise dollars to support the research.”

This is more than just wishful thinking on the part of the Jacksons. Says Bonnie, “Terry and I often wonder what charitable cause would be most important to us if diabetes hadn’t come into our lives. But ever since that day in 1978, we knew that pouring our efforts into finding a cure would become our family’s most important legacy.

“Over the years, our three girls and eight grandchildren have become deeply involved in fundraising for Diabetes Canada. We’ve done golf tournaments, silent auctions, and walk-a-thons to fund diabetes research and give hope to millions of Canadians who are living with this disease.”

Giving for generations to come

The couple have taken their commitment one step farther. “For us, naming our favourite charities in our will was an easy decision. It’s a natural extension of our giving, and it feels wonderful knowing we’ll be helping to further diabetes research for generations to come,” says Bonnie.

“We hope that as research progress continues, there will come a time when no more families like ours will have to live in fear of diabetes and the unknowns that come along with it.”

Kate Hicks, Diabetes Canada’s planned giving senior manager, says, “We are so blessed when families like the Jacksons offer to help! It has been an absolute pleasure working with Bonnie and Terry and their passion and dedication will definitely assist the future of Diabetes Canada.” 

Did you know?

May is Leave a Legacy month. Legacy giving is a way to leave a generous and lasting gift and support a cause you care about. Make Diabetes Canada an important part of your life story just as Bonnie and Terry Jackson have. Visit Leave a Legacy for Diabetes Canada now to learn more.